On a side note - notice that I say "people"
I don't like this categorization of people when it comes to war. I know why - I agree with the necesity of it - in practice - at the time! The practical reason is to minimize destruction! We separate combatant from civilian, so to spare the majority of the population (which are civilians)
I feel so sorry for the soldiers of the Iraqi army, for example. What... what on earth... did they do... to deserve such an early death? They're all in graves now :S
Why?
I know why, I'm being rethorical of course - but people were so fine with it! If they react - it is when innocent civilians come under fire - but why is it okay to slaughter defending draftees? Some just-turned 19 Hassan-or-whatever, with his uniform, his mother telling him how handsome he looks, patting his cheek - bam - invasion - bam - WAR
Then words like "insurgent", as if they are something-other-than-human.
Even the definition is murky as hell - "Insurgents! Neither soldier nor civilian!" whaaaaat? So... they're crab-people then wtf are they!? They're LADS! They're just dudes defending their mothers and sisters - yes - mothers and sisters - it's not even about "my country!" anymore when the enemy has landed IN YOUR CITY, and you see houses explode!
I try to imagine what I would think if some foreign country landed here, and begun to blow shit up for political reasons, seeing people on tv going "well, we TRY to minimize collateral damage!", in my mind politics could go take a long fucking hike, and my 2 sisters, my brother, my mother, her dog, my dads dog, stepmother, they'd ALL be on my mind, and I would be terrified for them! Not for "Norway", not for "Democracy" but for those I love! Knowing my dad, he would turn from pacifist to a hunter-of-men in a day
little derailment there, but it's been gnawing on me how lightly people take these concepts, "insurgent" "collateral damage" "minimum casualties" "targeting only uniformed combatants PHEW!"